Pregnancy Rules of Engagment

Well, it's been a while since we've blogged.  I'm sure you've been crying yourself to sleep at night waiting for another post and that you've been especially sad that the Redskins previews have been nonexistent.....

So, here is one post, courtesy of Kelly. :)  After (hopefully -- any day now baby!) being at the end of my second pregnancy, I thought I would share some thoughts and general ground rules about how to deal with pregnant women.  The stupid, inappropriate, and inconsiderate comments and actions that occur while pregnant can be downright shocking. Just today a random woman at the grocery store asked me when my babies were due and did not believe me when I told her there was only one because, as she said, I look really big (well, I am due in 3 days!).  It is difficult sometimes to know how to respond to these people, who might be well-intentioned, might be just trying to make conversation, or might just be nosy people.  So, I have formulated five simple rules.  I would have thought that most of these are common sense, but after two pregnancies, I realize that clearly, common sense sometimes goes out the window when people are dealing with a pregnant woman.  So, now, the moment you've all been waiting for.

THE PREGNANCY RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1) NEVER assume you know when the baby is due if you haven't been told. Always just ask when the due date is.  This avoids the awkward, "so you're eight months pregnant" when she's only five.
2) NEVER assume it is twins or multiples unless you have been told!  Good gosh, the rate of multiples is not that high!
3) NEVER touch a woman's belly without asking, and even then, you should probably know her pretty well before you ask.
4) NEVER tell a woman she looks huge, big, gigantic, large, immense, etc.  Trust me, she feels big and doesn't need anyone telling her that!  Never in her life will she gain 20-50 lbs in only about 7 months!
5) If you have ANY DOUBT in your head at all about the tact of the question or comment you are about to say to a pregnant woman, JUST DON'T SAY ANYTHING.

I know there are numerous other awful things that have been said and done to pregnant women, but of the people I've talked to, this seems to be a good starting point.  One thing that has also been interesting this pregnancy, since we're having a boy, is all the people who say, "You're husband must sure be happy you're having a boy" -- as if Chris would be upset if we were having another girl.  As a girl, I honestly don't know how to react to that!  But I haven't come up with a good all encompassing rule for that one besides #5 :).  So, people of the world, go forth and interact in a smart, kind way with all the pregnant women you encounter!

Redskins - Colts Preview!

Interesting about the Redskins' schedule - they've only had one 1:00 game (out of six, counting tonight's 8:20 start).  I'm going to New York tomorrow, and expected to be on a 10:00 am flight, and had high expectations of watching the entire game, which should end around midnight.  However, apparently the ticket I booked departed at 10:00 pm, rather than the am...oops.  One call to our travel agency later, and I'm booked on a 7:00 am flight tomorrow morning, which means a 4:30 wake up, rather than something around 6:30.  So, I'll probably have to bail on what should be a good game. 

This game is interesting on many statistical levels - first, the Colts can't stop the run, but the Redskins can't really run.  The Redskins give up a million yards, but not many points, and the Colts put up a ton of yards, but haven't scored a ton of points yet.  The Redskins can't stop the pass, but according to a few (including Ron Jawarski), Peyton Manning is having a down year so far.  Here's one that I think could make the difference tonight - the Colts are one of the worst in the league in punt and kickoff returns, while the Skins are among the best - especially with Brandon Banks returning punts now.  Side note:  I think Brandon Banks is now Kelly's favorite Redskin, pushing slightly ahead of my favorite Redskin:  Santana Moss.  [Kelly is also a big fan of Anthony Armstrong].

So, what does it all mean?  I have no idea.  The Redskins should be able to run the ball tonight.  However, Manning is a machine in night games, so I expect them to give up a ton of passing yards.  I think the Redskins make more plays on defense, and especially on special teams to give them the win...31-24.

ps...last week when I was posting the Skins-Packers preview, I seriously almost wrote..."missed FG late will cost the Packers the game" but didn't, because I didn't want to sound like one those idiot football writers who do things like that (yes, you Peter King)...and I didn't know the name of the Packer's kicker (information that I'm sure does not exist on the very Internet on which I post this).  Anyway, should have pulled the trigger on that one.  Here's one that I'm positive will happen...by the time this game is decided, I'll be way far night-night (to paraphrase the Harpster).

Shoes

Harper has discovered how much fun it is to wear big people shoes, particularly Mommy's shoes (and really, can you blame her? Mine are much cooler than Chris's shoes!).  We got a video of her this week walking around in a pair.  And below is a picture of her in my flip flops (with socks of course -- don't worry, we'll make sure that socks and sandals don't become a habit!).  She's been talking more and more now and usually has about 3 new words a day.  One of yesterday's new words was "awesome" much to her Daddy's delight.  Another was "putt putt" -- her word for fart.  Now we just have to work on the "excuse me" part of that equation!

Redskins - Packers Preview!

This will be a short one, because Kelly and I are about an hour and a half away from departing on our baby-moon...a short overnight trip without Harper (thank you grandma!). 

INSTANT UPDATE:  I'm typing this as Harper watches her new favorite movie - Elmo in Grouchland.  Anyway, the movie just started with Elmo waking up to his alarm, and along with lots of toys and stuff you'd expect to see in a five year old's room, there's also a HUGE poster of Tiger Woods - circa 1997 I'm guessing.  Great stuff.  Harper - watch out for Elmo.

Anyway, Kelly and I will be out in Middleburg this afternoon, and won't be able to watch the game.  However, I think it'll be a lot like the Texans' game.  The Packers can't run, and are going to have to pass for a million yards, just like the Texans did back in week two.  I think the difference here will be Kareem Moore - the Redskins' free safety, who was missing from the Texans' game.  He's much more athletic than Reed Daughty, who was destroyed by Andre Johnson when they played the Texans.  The Redskins will be able to keep up when the Packers try try to stretch the field, but as we've seen in the last few weeks, the Skins seem succeptable to those little 5-7 yard routes underneath the defense.  It'll be interesting to see if Laron Landry can break up that stuff this week.

On offense, I'm really really REALLY excited to see what Ryan Turain can do.  He looked great last week against the Eagles - like a little Brandon Jacobs (he's taller than six feet, and is a relatively big back).  Based on what we saw last Sunday, he's definitely an upgrade when compared to Portis.  However, against a really strong linebacking group, I wouldn't mind having Portis in the game just for his blocking ability.  Hopefully they'll be able to get the run game going early enough to hold those linebackers in place. 

I'm thinking Redskins 27 - Packers 26. 

Our little Rocker

Since Harper was a wee little one, she has always loved the song "Are you Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet.  I finally caught her on video rockin' out to it.  Enjoy!

Redskins Week 4 Preview

It's always kind of a fun week each year - the week that I totally become disillusioned with the Redskins and mentally check out for the remainder of the year.  Well, that may have happened last weekend, especially with the Redskins' next four games against some tough competition (Eagles, Packers, Colts, Bears).  It's no stretch to think about the Redskins at 1-7 and heading to Detroit before their bye.  Anyway, it's always kind of fun to check out of a Redskins' season because I get my Sunday afternoons back.  Last year I think I was out in the 6th week, the season before, I made it all the way to the 15th week, but this year, it may only be four, especially if they lose to the Eagles this afternoon.

The Redskins have trouble all over the field - most importantly on both lines.  Sally Jenkins wrote a great article this past week where she simply stated that the Redskins' aging line wasn't physically fit enough to compete with a lot of the younger teams in the league (the Redskins have the oldest average age in the league).  It makes a lot of sense (especially when thinking back to their late game collapses the last two weeks).  Most folks say that building a great football team starts with the people closest to the ball - quarterback, and offensive and defensive lines.  The Redskins are two years away from getting young, talented players to fill these positions (through the draft). 

That being said, I'll still recklessly pick the Redskins to win today (because that's what I do).  The Redskins have had a lot of success scoring points against the Eagles the last few years, and have had even more success running against them.  Could this be the week the running game gets on track?  Probably not - which is fine, because it's fun to see McNabb throw for a million yards.  Something tells me that this may be the game that the Michael Vick train comes to a screeching halt.  I'm going with Redskins 27 - Eagles 21.

Strange Pregnancy Desires

I'm not going to address my husband's pathetic Redskins-Rams predictions from the previous post. Instead, I'm blogging about girly stuff. This pregnancy has been on the whole, easier than my pregnancy with Harper.  [Side note: that assertion will be tested this Friday when I go for my three hour glucose test after failing the one hour test last week.  If I have gestational diabetes, I'm sure that my perspective on this pregnancy might change.] Unlike my last pregnancy, "morning" sickness actually ended with my first trimester, I am not grossed out by any and every meat product, and while I have heartburn it isn't nearly as bad. However, with this pregnancy, my hormones have manifested themselves in other ways.  For example, during the first trimester, I almost got us a kitten.  I couldn't stop thinking about getting one even though we already have one cat, and for now, one is really enough. That desire eventually faded, and then the last month I keep thinking about getting a puppy.  Totally irrational with a toddler I can barely keep track of and a baby on the way. Fortunately my brain is overriding the desire for more pets!  My "nesting" instinct is in full force and I've been on a rampage to get our family room finally decorated (I think the addition of cable and my obsession with HGTV have also contributed to that one).  And most recently, I've had the odd desire to die my hair.

Now, some hair care background. My last haircut was at Hair Cuttery and I have never died my hair in my life.  First, at the salon it's extremely expensive.  Second, it seems like once you start dying your hair, then you just can't stop because then you have roots that you have to cover, and it is just one endless expensive cycle.  And third, well, I've just never really desired to.  Pregnancy has changed all that.  After thinking about it, I decided maybe I could try dying my hair with one of those do-it-yourself kits that wash out after a month. I figured, hey, one month of hair dye, even if it's awful, will only be one month.  After spending time at the computerized color metering machine at Target (how cool is that?), I picked a color, and spent a whopping $6.67 on Garnier Nutrise Number 80, medium natural blond.

So tonight was the night. The hair dye instructions said to use the special tool to part your hair into sections and apply the color cream liberally from the roots out.  Sounds easy enough until I started trying to do it.  And I start to wonder, what if I miss some spots in the back?  Am I going to have huge spots that are somewhat more blond than others?  And then I realize the instructions say after applying, let it sit on your hair for 10 minutes, but be careful not to let it sit on your hair longer than that.  Well, I start to panic a bit, because does this mean from the time I started, or from the time I finish applying, and again, does this mean I'm going to have random blonder spots?  At this point there is cream on half my head, so I quickly finished applying the hair color (and the parting tool, I mean really, who can part hair on the back of their head into tiny even sections?).  I wait 10 minutes and pray that I do not look like a bleached patchy blond at the end of this process.  I rinse my hair, apply the special "nourishing" conditioner with bamboo extract (apparently bamboo is harder than steel...hmmm...), rinse again, and hop out of the shower and blow dry my hair anxiously awaiting the results.

And the verdict.  Well, apparently I picked a color a little too close to my hair color.  It looks almost completely the same.  Chris could barely tell, heck I could barely tell, that I had just spent an hour of my life dying my hair. Much ado about nothing!

Redskins Week 3 Preview!!!

Okay, this will be quick, because this game should be pretty one-sided.  I'm thinking somewhere around the neighborhood of:  Redskins 105, Rams 3.  Kareem Moore's return to free safety should be enough to create plenty of havoc in the passing game, especially with the Rams starting Sam Bradford, a rookie QB.  The Rams also have an awful run defense, so Portis and the running game should get going.  I think the Skins should put up a ton of points tomorrow (105 points is 25 touchdowns...only one every four minutes - actually not as crazy as I thought it would be). 

In related news - while last week's game was definitely a below the belt punch to the Redskins' early season hopes, it was great to watch.  It reminded me of another loss that was almost as much fun to watch - the Redskins - Bucs game from 2005 (http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=251113027).  Anyway, the Redskins have been so miserable to watch the last few years, that an exciting game with a lot of points was just too much for a fan to ask for.  I think I'd take an exciting loss to a low scoring, ugly victory just about every time. 

Also, not to toot my own horn last week - but toot toot!!!  You read it here first - Arian Foster held way under 100 yards rushing, yet Andre Johnson ended up torching the secondary.  I'm sure I'll be back again next week to look for validation for my "score in four" (minutes) theory, after the Skins put up 105.  You may not know it, but you come to this blog for cute Harper information, and groundbreaking Redskins analysis...about a tenth of which may actually come true. 

You can't make this stuff up...

I'm always a big fan of historical events that make for great stories.  Our history as a single narrative is pretty amazing, yet certain aspects can be much more interesting than others.  Among two that stand out from recent reading:

1.  While serving in the US army during the Mexican-American war, Robert E. Lee, while scouting enemy troop positions, stumbled upon the entire Mexican army marching his way.  Too late to make an escape, Lee hid behind a log at a watering hole, while literally feet away, the entire Mexican army - thousands of men marched by.  That not one of them saw Lee is amazing.  It always seems like great leaders cheat death frequently.  George Washington once had scores of horses shot out from under him during during the Revolutionary War. 

2.  The story of the Polish submarine, Orzel would make for an incredible movie (unfortunately it would probably star Matthew McConaughey or Nicholas Cage).  While on patrol in the Baltic sea, the Orzel learned of Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, which started WWII.  Unable to put into a Polish port (because they were all in German hands), the sub put into an Estonian port, which was also quickly captured by the Germans, who arrested the crew, and carried off the submarine's radio and navigational charts.  Aware of what their fate would most likely entail (most were Jewish), the crew was able to escape the compound they were held in, overpowered the guards holding the sub, and put out to sea.  While escaping the harbor, what radio equipment still on the boat was damaged in a running gun battle with the Germans.  Hundreds of miles away from a friendly port, without working radios or navigational aids, and with dozens of German warships actively hunting them, the submarine was somehow able to evade capture.  The crew relied on the stars for navigation, and managed to navigate the sub to London.  It later returned to service in the Allied fleet.

Anyway, reading "The Battle for North America" has just given me a new amazing story to share - the incredible story of Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit monk who came to New France in 1642 to convert the Huron population.  His assignment, which he devoted himself to completely, was essentially to go to the farthest (and most dangerous) known Huron settlements, and baptize as many as he could.  During his trip to reach these remove Huron settlements, his traveling group was attacked by a band of Iroquois (very bad dudes), who captured Jogues' fellow Jesuit traveler, Rene Goupil.  Rather than save himself and retreat into the woods with the rest of the Huron travelers, Jogues turned himself into the Iroquois captors (much to their surprise), because he couldn't bear the thought of Goupil enduring his fate alone. 

I'll save you the details of the torture that was inflicted upon Jogues and Goupil, only to say that much of it was beyond the limits of human endurance (think of clam shells to lacerate and cut, as well as embers dropped on a bound body, and you'll only begin to somewhat crack the surface of what he had to go through).  Yet Jogues endured his daily beatings and torture sessions (often inflicted at Iroquois villages by women and children), mosquito infestations, and the physical rigors of traveling the rugged countryside after being continually beaten and tortured.  At every village Jogues was bound and placed in a ceremonial fire-pit, presumably prepared for him to be burned alive (a common fate that met many captured by the Iroquois), yet was allowed to live in each instance - sometimes with his captors holding fire torches inches from setting the funeral pyre ablaze. 

While bound on one of these fire-pits with four other Huron captives, Jogues, who had been thrown an ear of green corn, managed to find a few raindrops in the husk, and baptized two of the prisoners.  Scenes like this were frequently repeated - despite the unbelievable physical pain, Jogues somehow remained focused on converting the native population, even after his companion Goupil had been killed (tomahawk + head = dead Goupil).  After months of torture, Jogues managed to escape, hiding out with traders from Holland for five weeks before boarding a ship for France. 

Yet his ship never made it to France - directly anyhow (I'm sure you're shocked).  Pirates shipjacked (yes, it's possible that I just made up a new word), the vessel Jogues was sailing on.  The pirates threatened him with death, but in the end, stole his shoes and coat (good thing he wasn't sailing in the middle of the winter...oh wait!  He was!!!), before depositing him on a remote section of the coast of France.  Jogues, whose capture had made him a well-known in France, managed to make his way cross country in winter, without shoes and coat, to a small Jesuit church, where the parishioners nursed him back to health.  Jogues continued on to Paris, where he was treated as a national hero.

After a few months in Paris, Jogues, still with a heart for converting the native Huron population, sailed back to New France (crazy enough...no shipwrecks, shark attacks, or UFO invasions on the trip across the Atlantic).  Jogues remained in Montreal for the next two years, preparing other missionaries for trips out into the wilderness.  Yet Jogues was unable to truly enjoy the safe confines of Montreal, and made plans to head back to the Huron people.  As Jogues made his way back to the most remote Huron settlement, he was captured, this time by the Mohawks - again though with the beatings and torture, and threat of being burned alive at each new town.  Yet Jogues continued to search for converts, and managed to baptize many during his capture.

During one brutal torture session, where parts of Jogues were literally being peeled off, he pleaded with his captors, "I am a man like yourselves, but I do not fear death or torture.  I do not know why you would kill me.  I come here to confirm the peace and show you the way to heaven, and you treat me like a dog."

His Mohawk captor replied, "You shall die tomorrow, but take courage, we shall not burn you.  We shall strike you with a hatchet and place your head on a palisade, that your brothers may see you when we capture them." 

Unfortunately for Jogues, the threat of death this time proved true, and this time he was killed by his Mohawk captors.  As Parkman writes, "Thus died Isaac Jogues, one of the purest examples of Roman Catholic virtue which this Western continent has seen."

Elton Harper?

On Monday, Harper and I joined friends at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon.  At some point, Harper stole her friend Fable's sunglasses. I snapped a quick pic, but later was struck but the strange Elton-John resemblance.  Giant sunglasses, reddish hair, outlandish jewelry and outfits?  What are Chris and I in for?

Mommy Vs. Daddy

Harper has started to label certain items around that house as belonging to Mama or Dada.  The lists are longer than the below, but of course, I am not remembering many of the items now. The lists are strangely revealing. Take a guess whose is whose:

Broom
Beer bottle
Redskins paraphernalia
TV remote control

Books
Computer
Soda cans
Purses/diaper bag

Now, know that this has been noted before, but Mommies and Daddies definitely play with their children differently.  Chris comes home and wrestles and swings Harper around the room. He's like a relief pitcher that comes in at 100% for the final inning. While being pregnant has limited my physical play with Harper, I really don't even THINK to do the things Chris does with her. However, when sick or tired, Harper just wants to cuddle with Mommy.  For now, I'll enjoy the cuddling until it's time for some boy talk. :)

Tasty enough for a man, PH balanced for a woman...

About two weeks ago I was sitting in Chicago, waiting to catch a flight to Omaha, and was feeling hungry.  I quickly downed the granola bar I had, and thought I had packed a second, but in fact, had packed a Luna Bar - you know, the whole grain nutrition bar for women.  The seating around the gate was getting more and more crowded, so it was decision time - eat the Luna, or purchase a more manly option, such as...anything else that could even remotely be considered as food.  Yet I ate the Luna, and loved it, because Luna bars are just that good, which is kind of a shame (if they only made chocolate pecan pie Clif Bars, none of this woud ever have happened).  It's not like these things are dipped in a chocolate estrogen coating...right?

Who's up for some yoga under the stars?...apparently me.

Redskins Week II - The Arian Foster Myth...EXPOSED!!!

Okay, Redskins - Texans, tomorrow at 4:15.  And yes, you read that title correctly, the Arian Foster myth is now sweeping the country!  A lot has been mentioned about Foster this week, and his 231 yard day against the Colts last Sunday.  First things first, the Colts run defense is terrible at best - second, the Colts game plan on defense was obviously to stop the pass, which they did, at the expense of stopping the run (Houston only threw for 107 yards, and on the highlights of Foster's big runs, both safeties were playing way back).

Foster played in four games last year, and played against the league's 30th (Seattle), 25th (St. Louis), 24th (Miami), and 12th (New England, who rested most all of their starters).  Yes, I did look those stats up - that's why you come to this blog, cute videos of Harper, and accurate NFL stats.  Anyway, last year the Colts ranked 24th in rushing defense.  It's safe to say that he hasn't faced a decent defense since he's been in the league.

So, all that to say that I don't think he'll be a factor tomorrow, as the Redskins have shown over the last few seasons that they can stop just about any running back, especially one who isn't a big pass catcher.  I do think that Andre Johnson will be a factor tomorrow, and I could see him lighting up the Redskins' secondary pretty easily.  That being said, I'm going with Redskins 28, Texans 17.  Big games for Cooley and McNabb.

Harper's First Kiss

Harper just loves her friend James Boland (Harper calls him "Game" and he calls her "Doopoor") and last week she showed us how much she loves him.  While we didn't get this part on the video, Harper at first took James's hand, led him out of the room, and then we just heard a big "mwaaaaaa" (Harper's noise for kisses).  Considering James has already seen Harper naked, I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised.  The video itself is pretty cute though. Aaaaaah.....young love, ain't it grand.

Quick Dada note:  Next time Harper is allowed alone with James Boland...NEVER!!!

Quick Redskins Note

No, I did not photoshop the koozie on that sippy cup.  For a few days these past two weeks, Harper refused to drink her milk unless the Skins' koozie was on the cup.  I can only assume that this means good things for our beloved Redskins this season.  Speaking of, if McNabb stays healthy, I think they go 9-7, if he's not healthy, 6-10.  Also, can we come up with another adjective to describe the Redskins' new defensive scheme rather than "ball-hawking"?  Seriously, can we please put that term to rest when Ed Reed retires.  (as an aside, here's a ball hawk definition that tries a little too hard to tie balls to hawks...http://www.sportstechnocenter.com/BallHawk.htm)

Week 1 Prediction:  Redskins 34, Cowboys 28  (injuries on the offensive line (missing two starters) will hurt Dallas, who had a rough pre-season, and I think Moss and Portis have big games).  Also, for those of you who don't know, yes, I'll be picking the Redskins to win every game this year (despite the aforementioned 9-7 season prediction).

A funny post that I read in the Washington Post two days ago...

Rookie left tackle Trent Williams took the practice field Thursday wearing a new uniform number - No. 71. "It was my old number," Williams said. "I originally wanted that number."

When Williams joined the Redskins, No. 71 was already taken by fellow lineman Mike Williams. But just because Trent Williams was the Redskins' first-round draft pick, he didn't have the ability to simply swipe someone else's number. He immediately began discussions with Mike Williams, trying to figure out what it'd take for Big Mike to relinquish No. 71.

"We was in negotiations," Trent Williams said. "Then it worked out that he's not with us this year, so I ended up getting it."

Okay, so for those of you who don't know, Mike Williams had blood clots, and will sit out the entire season, but seriously, doesn't Trent Williams sound like the godfather here?!?!  "Then it worked out that he's not with us..."  Yikes!  Who is he getting to work these things out, Tony Soprano? 

So I think I want to change my season prediction to 16-0 with that kind of muscle in the house this year.  Tony Romo and some other Dallas Cowboy starters may have themselves a little "accident" prior to the game on Sunday, courtesy of some of Trent Williams' business associates.  Somehow I amazingly see the Redskins covering the points spread every week this season...

Feelin' Blue

This weekend, since we had virtually four days (Chris was on travel Thursday and got home Friday morning so didn't have to go into work, hooray!), we decided to tackle some "fun" home improvement projects. We contemplated painting the shutters, but realized that since our house is on a slope, it would be quite dangerous for Chris to attempt to take down the shutters on his own--and given that one of us is watching a toddler at all times, whoever is working is on their own!  Plus, we have A LOT of windows (see previous post on our "International Visitor").  So we decided on two more manageable projects:  replacing our outdoor light fixtures (Chris) and painting our front door and mailbox to match (Kelly).  Chris really likes the concept of a red door, but I wasn't thrilled with the thought of red against our brick color, so instead, we decided to harness the spirit of a bright red front door with another bright primary color --"southern blue" if you will, and I will, and we did!  

There was nothing wrong with our light fixtures or door, but the fixtures were nearly the same color as the brick so blended in completely and we really like the look of the black, lantern-style outdoor lights with a colonial home.  And our house has almost no color on the outside (brick, light tan siding, black shutters and a white door -- boooooooring), however, Chris and I do tend to be pretty traditional with our decorating, so the blue was a bold, daring move.  For us (and here I'll channel some Aerosmith:  DUM DUM DUM:  Livin' on the edge!). 

Chris managed to put in three light fixtures in about one hour, (and here I'll employ some Salt-n-Pepa: what a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty fine man!). [p.s. Chris also made me an awesome grilled dinner tonight when Harper went to bed.]  I just finished the door this afternoon, although we still have to put the hardware back on.  I'm sure our thick storm door and lock will keep all the robbers away, probably about as well as the screens in our windows, which we of course have completely open with this wonderful weather.   So, now, the moment you've all been waiting for....the before and after pics (complete with a Harper...for scale of course):

And then, the after from a slightly different angle due to the glare of the afternoon (feel free to applaud!):


And last but not least, a Harper update.  Her newest favorite word is "trash" -- she loves to annunciate the "sh" at the end. Aside from "beep beep" it is probably the only word in her vocabulary that has a consonant at the end of the word.  She also loves to throw things in the trash for you.  Although we have to be vigilant -- today when we ran out of things for her to throw out she took her own shoe and put it in the trash!

Cable...we gots it.

Today the Hunt fam celebrates our one year anniversary in our house, which in many ways, seems like we've lived here forever, and yet also seems like just a few weeks.  A few weeks ago we decided that we needed to get a land phone line to make our casa complete, and lo and behold, it turns out that for a nominal fee, we could complete the phone and internet combo by adding the third piece to of the holy trinity of home communication...glorious cable television!

Last winter I installed an antenna on our house, which gave us all of the major broadcast channels (in HD!)...

Unfortunately, with spring came leaves, and so our antenna's line of sight turned from fantasic into this...

                                     

We turned from four solid channels to one (thank you FOX), so the move to cable was much appreciated!  This is our second venture into the cable television world since we've been married (we had it for about six months after Harper was born), and I think, while we're excited, we've got some modest expectations.  Getting cable television is like the start of every recent Redskins season - things look great on paper - yet after a few weeks you find yourself watching a rerun of "What Not to Wear" at 2:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon and contemplating the merits of pairing black pants with a brown shirt.  Not pretty.

I'm happy to report that our cable television venture so far has been a success, although I could be slightly biased right now, because Kelly and I are watching "Rambo: First Blood" together on the couch (at the first commercial break, I told Kelly she could change the channel, but she declined, saying that she was sucked in...to Rambo...FIRST...BLOOD!!!).  That, my friends, is cable television money well spent!  Also, note to the state of Oregon...YOU CAN'T CONTAIN JOHN RAMBO!!!  It's a physical impossibility. 

Anyway, cable television is cool, but unfortunately it seems that each time we watch TV, we have to watch the same stupid Olive Garden commercial over and over - you know, the one where the guy is amazed at the Never Ending Pasta Bowl like he just found Strega Nona's magic pasta pot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strega_Nona).  It wouldn't be such a bad commercial, except for the fact that you're led to believe that this guy and his four friends have discussed nothing but the Never Ending Pasta Bowl for their entire meal (they're talking about it when they order, and then when their plates are cleared, and at that point, I'm unsure if they're capable of conversing about any other topic).  It's like five complete strangers having a first date, but being allowed to talk about nothing but the pasta.

Person 1:  "I love the never ending pasta bowl"

Person 2:  "Me too"

Person 3:  "Me too"

Person 4:  "Me too"

Person 5:  "Me three"

All:  "HAHAHAHAHAHA - that was the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life - we're such good friends now!"

Roll Olive garden logo, and I think we've just created the Fall commercial. 

                                     

"I really wish they had spent more money making the food better, rather than buying up all that air time."

This is just not cool, even if these guys are that kid's uncle.

Anyway, right now that's the only negative to us having cable.  Okay, I've got to get back to watching a war-traumatized ex-soldier terrorize a vindictive police department and civilian population.  Nope, can't see any negative to any of this...

Belly Button

I (Kelly) have just passed a milestone of pregnancy today.  I'm almost to the third trimester, and will be 27 weeks along on Friday, but the milestone I'm talking about relates to this one small, funny little body part.  My belly button has "popped out."  It still looks more like a raised crater or something weird like that, but it's out, and starting to show in shirts a bit.  As a small child, my belly button was more of an "outie," but since I can really remember, it has been an "innie" (and is that really how you spell "innie?"  What a funny word for a funny body party).  Is it because of excess skin that it's an innie now when not pregnant (and by excess skin, I mean the kind that comes from eating too many donuts)?  One of those questions I may never know the answer to....I think I can live with that.

Harper loves to point out body parts now, and she really thinks bellies are fun.  However, I will warn you, if you ask her where her belly is, be prepared to lift up YOUR shirt too, because after she shows you hers, she always goes in for a peek of yours.

The surest form of flattery

Toddlers love to imitate, and if imitation is the surest form of flattery, well then, our daughter loves us very much.  Some of our recent favorites:

• Talking on the phone -- "bladada jabab bladadaba" but VERY serious when she does it. And now some "Dadas" thrown in (I'm guessing she's calling Daddy at work).  We also love how the phone is usually backwards, upside down or something.  
• Harper loves walking up to random doors now, knocking, saying "knock knock" and then (even when the door isn't opened by anyone) she yells "HI!"
• Harper likes to pack up one of her little purses, walk over to our garage or front door and wave to me and say, "bye, bye."
• Harper has a little toy car and that gets into, says "beep beep" and then waves to me and says "bye bye!"
• Harper likes to get a book out, and "read" to herself....some form of language similar to the way she "talks" on the phone.  And yes, typically the book is upside down. :)
• Harper is starting to "cook" in her play kitchen now.
• Harper likes to give "pounds" and "high fives" to anyone who is offering, and is starting to be more generous with her hugs and kisses. 
• Harper likes to push the grocery cart when she can, or the stroller.
• Harper likes to clean when I clean up, a spill, or whatever it might be (hoping this is a trend that continues!)
• Whenever we bring food to Harper now, she often says "Hotaaaaaaa" even when it's not hot, and she often blows on it to cool it (even cold strawberries!)
• Harper likes to "blow" her nose with a tissue, but really she's just making a loud noise and sometimes blowing out her mouth.
• This week she got a stuffed monkey out, put it in her future brother's crib and said, "night night" to the monkey.
• She insists on wearing a necklace if I'm wearing a necklace.
• If I tell Harper we're going bye bye, she gets my shoes for me like I get hers when we go out (often mis-matching, but hey, she's trying).
• And last but not least, Harper likes to try to wipe me when I go to the bathroom. Instead, I encourage her to flush the toilet!

The Boss

So last night we (this is Kelly writing) were enjoying one of our first evenings of having cable.  Chris and I watched "Cake Boss" while Harper literally ran back and forth in the family room yelling at the top of her lungs holding scraps of fabric and laying down on large swaths that I had cut to make curtains in our family room (after having the fabric for literally almost a year!).  The things that amuse her....anyway, back to the story. After a while we turned off the TV and took Harper up to get ready for bed. As Chris was carrying her up the steps, he asked, "Harper, can you say 'Boss'?" (in honor of Cake boss show), and Harper, with zero hesitation says, "MAMA."  Right on kid, right on. [And below you can see my resemblance to the other "boss," I think it's pretty obvious!]

Horseshoe Court!!!

This weekend was the grand unveiling of the horseshoe court that my friend Pete helped me put together a few weeks ago.  Why a horseshoe court, rather than a simple pit you ask?  Well, we can think our friends at HGTV for planting the seed (http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/build-a-horseshoe-court/index.html).

Not surprisingly, the HGTV people had a few advantages - namely, a bottomless budget and more importantly, a flat piece of land for their court.  I like to think the slope of our court creates some unique playing conditions for the true playas!  Anyway, here are some pics...

(okay, this is actually the HGTV court...marble chips (cha-ching)!!!

(look at those spacious throwing areas...take that HGTV!!!)

(I probably got bit by about 20 mosquitos while taking these pictures...horseshoe court

season is definitely October through April!)

International Visitor!

Last Saturday, our family was visited from a member of another nation...Window Nation (http://www.windownation.com/).  We were thinking about replacing our original wooden windows (35 years old) with brand new vinyl replacement windows.  Window purchasing, much like car buying and home shopping would be much, much easier if the process mirrored an online checkout system..."hmmmm, yes, replacement windows, add 18 to the cart, checkout now...done and done!"  But alas, it's not to be, so instead of five minutes of online purchasing, we got to spend "60-90" minutes with the emmissary from the Window Nation. 

The rep was nice enough, but the time really seemed to drag along as he went through binders and binders (literally) of information.  It was almost like one Window Nation minute was twice as slow as a good ole USA minute.  Oh wait...that's because it was!  Along with the two binders of information we also received an elaborate demonstration of how certain glass blocks UV rays, and were amazed by the "the more panes of glass you have, the more heat/cold you stop from getting into your house" theorem.  We even got to feel the special caulk that they used - I tried not to touch the caulk at first (I mean honestly, touch the caulk?), but it seemed to be a gateway we had to pass through to get to the next part of the presentation, so I touched.  And it felt like...caulk!  We were clocking around 2 hours (by comparison, the current marathon world record stands at 2:03.59) at this point.

Around this time my mom and sister came over (they were going to watch Harper so Kelly and I could go out to dinner), and Harper was not willing to sit quietly and listen to the window man do his talky talk, so Kelly deftly left the room to spend time with them.  Now, when John McCain was a POW in Vietnam, and was offered a chance to leave his awful bondage, he declined out of a gesture of solidarity with his fellow prisioners.  Kelly was no John McCain...but on the other hand, had the tables been reversed, neither would I!  "Via Con Dios, Window Nation!" [Kelly is adding in here, "It was your idea to get this estimate Chris, so you get to pay the price of listening to the full propaganda presentation."]

With Kelly gone, the salesman shifted tactics a bit, with the big price discussion (finally) looming.  Gone were demonstrations of windows opening and closing (yes, even new windows slide up and down), UV ray deflection, and caulk touching - instead, it was time to do a little man to man talking:

WN:  "Chris, women are difficult to please - you know how hard it is to make Kelly happy."
Me:  (unable to verbalize anything, but thinking, "actually, we communicate pretty well, so I generally know what makes her happy, but thanks for asking.")
WN:  I mean, seriously, Kelly isn't going to care what the U-factor of these windows is (not true), how many UV rays they block (also, not true), or how well they're installed (and, we're three for three at this point) - what she cares about is if they look pretty (actually, her lowest overall decision factor, but thanks for playing).
Me:  (?)  As an aside - I hate it when sales people pull lines like this...believe it or not, there are folks out there who actually really like their spouse!  Shocker! 

After that painful exchange we (finally) got to the pricing conversation, and the Window Nation diplomat threw this little quote out before sliding the price sheet my way, "I mean, window replacement is a big commitiment - you're going to be spending as much on a car as on these windows...."  At this point I'm hoping that that car is one of these...

Rather than one of these...

Despite the fact that we were young homeowners, with one full-time income, a small child, and another soon on the way, Window Nation decided to quote us the price on the "most expensive" (their words, not mine) windows they sell.  Not surprisingly, when I looked the quote, the price was listed as $Jetson's Hovercar.  

Mercifully, Kelly walked in at this time, and got things moving again.  She thanked the rep for quoting the best possible window ever known to modern man, but suggested that he price something lower on the price spectrum.  It was awesome - I felt like I knew how John McCain must have felt when he actually got to go home - the cavalry had finally arrived!  The price came across the table, much lower, but still in major "ouch" territory.  We looked at it, said that we wouldn't make a decision that day, and hoped that was that.  Kelly, not wanting to leave my mom and sister, who had now been over a little under an hour, left the room again.  "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...at least Chuck Norris will be back to get me someday!!!

Anyway, after about 15 minutes of high pressure sales talk, the rep left without having made the sale, clocking in at about 2 hours and 45 minutes. 

Let me just say that if Window Nation was a real nation, it would be like Dubai, and everyone would drive a Rolls Royce and have gold plated toilets, and would burn dollar bills in the winter to heat their homes.  Oh, wait, that's right, they wouldn't need to do that, because their windows would be so efficient, there would be no need.  But as for us, well, if you come over this winter, make sure you dress warmly. 

(Harper studying up on some Window Nation propaganda)

Harper's Favorite Toy

Kelly here -- my first official post for the "Chillin" blog.  I am your first guest poster (and will likely be the only guest poster) and if you're lucky, I might even upgrade to "regular contributor."  We'll see!  As I think I've mentioned to a few people, Harper's newest favorite toy is....my underwear.  Lovely.  About 8 weeks ago she started digging it out the hamper (GROSS!!) unless I found a couple clean pairs to let her carry around.  However, this week she discovered where the underwear drawer is located and so our bedroom is now constantly covered in my underwear.  And there are usually a few stray pairs hanging around the family room and study too.  Harper's vocabulary is limited, but she now can say "underwear" (of course, I don't know that there are any consanants when she says it but we know what it is).  Her favorite thing to do with the underwear is to hang anywhere from 3-6 pairs around her neck.  I finally caught her this week on camera. :)

Harper Hunt...A Real American (guitar) Hero!!!

Recently Harper has been into Guitar Hero...REALLY into Guitar Hero, as this video shows.  Around 1:20 into the video, Harper also invents a new product...the guitar phone (soon to be patented by the Hunt family)!  Call Steve Jobs...I think we've got a winner here! 

Best Opening Paragraph...EVER!!!

I'm currently reading "The Battle for North America" - an abridgment of Francis Parkman's 13-volume "France and England in North America" which is no longer published, but was called "the greatest single achievement in our literature" by Henry Commanger (maybe I can get him to review this blog!).  Anyway, this book, about the French and English experience in North America from discovery until the end of the French and Indian War, has the best opening paragraph of any book I've ever read.  I always enjoy authors who manage to squeeze what seem like pages out of a single paragraph, and this one is the king:

The ancient town of St. Malo - thrust out like a buttress into the sea, strange and grim of aspect, breathing war from its walls and battlements of ragged stone, a stronghold of privateers, the home of  a race whose intractable and defiant independence neither time nor change has subdued - has been for centuries a nursery of hardy mariners.  Among the earliest and most eminent on its list stands the name of Jacques Cartier.  His portrait hangs in the town hall of St. Malo - bold, keen features bespeaking a spirit not apt to quail before the wrath of man or of the elements.

It would take me the entire time Parkman wrote all 13 volumes to ever come up with a paragraph like that.  Awesome. 

On a side note, it has been really neat to read about the history of New France, especially because much of it centers around one of my favorite places - Acadia National Park.  I had no idea that Mt. Desert Island is essentially France's Plymouth Rock.  Really makes me excited to explore this aspect of the park the next time we get back there. 

Here's a brief history from the Acadia website:  http://www.nps.gov/acad/historyculture/stories.htm

When Poop is Cute

When is poop cute?  When you're talking about kids and poop, that's when!  Yesterday Harper and I dropped off a little Harper poop in the toilet from her cloth diaper.  Here's the play-by-play after that:

Me:  "Harper, do you want to flush the toilet?"
Harper:  (nodding, flushes the toilet)
Me:  "Great job sweetheart - let's go downstairs."
Harper:  (stops, puts down the toilet seat and toilet seat cover, places her mouth about half an inch from the top of the cover)  "Byyyye-Byyyyye" (while waiving).

Awesome.

Garden/Yard Update!

I managed to get in a little work in the yard this weekend - even early yesterday morning in the rain, which was actually kind of fun (in a "hey, I'm getting soaked while sitting in the mud" kind of way - you know what I'm talking about).  I really wanted to work on the area around Harper's sandbox and swingset, which had become overgrown with weeds and looked like it was a foreclosed swingset/sandbox.  Unfortunately there aren't any "before" pictures, but here's what it looks like afterwards...

Last week I killed all of the weeds with some Roundup, and used a thatching rake to pull everything up.  On a side note, if you ever want to do some of the most physically intense lawn maintance work imaginable, use a thatching rake on your yard for a few minutes.  Terrible.  People could do away with gym memberships if they all used these things.  Anyway, after the weeds were pulled up, I dug a trench around the area I wanted covered by the mulch.  This is kind of a pain, and yeilds a lot of dug up dirt quickly, but makes things look good, and will be easy to mow.  Without the trench, the mulch isn't contained, and spreads over the grass unevenly.  I also found a few pieces of flagstone by our air conditioner and was able to use them on add to the little path.

Quick project #2 was to finish up the stone stairs that will eventually lead to a path around our backyard.  At this rate, completion should be around 2018...right on schedule!  I was able to get all three stones from our yard, and thankfully was able to find three with flat sides to use for steps. 

This was also the weekend that I decided to take the netting down from around the ("deer resistant") columbine I planted this Spring, and that the deer munched on almost immediately.  Nothing says classy like mesh netting in your front yard...

                     

Anyway, we'll see how/if this works.  Could be opening up the buffet. 

We finally got our first hint of a bloom from our bee balm, that we planted this spring.  Bee Balm is a member of the mint family, and has stems that are square (like all mint members), which are interesting.  Anyway, we planted four very small plants in April, and they have just killed it - growing like crazy, but no blooms despite their size.  Hopefully we're turning the corner. 

                    

Our lavender (about ten plants) continues to do well and is blooming more and more (it usually blooms in June, and I'm guessing that it's late because we planted this year).  I even cut some for drying on Friday, which smelled great.  I transplanted three plants from near our driveway to our front walk to give them a little more sun. 

                   

Say hello to our newest additions...three compact reed grasses (4 for $12 at Home Depot this week).  I do love me some ornamental grasses. 

Quick Video - Ocean City Beach Trip

Here's a quick video I put together early this morning with pictures and video from our trip to the beach the week before last. Highlights definitely include Harper learning to say "I am ready!" which I was able to get a few times, and Harper having a great time in the water. This trip was also my first experience using long exposures to capture fireworks and lightening, but I'll get into more of that a little later.

Game On!!!

Whoever thought that starting a blog would be old school?  I guess MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have really taken us far away from what - 2006.  I'm guessing that was the high water mark of the blogging universe, as all of the names I tried for this blog (and yes, in case you're wondering, someone had already taken "The Awesomeness of Me") were snatched up in 2006.  Kind of crazy.  Anyway, this blog is the answer to the question of what you get when you don't have a Twitter account, generally don't have a lot of time to communicate with a lot of people, and your Facebook profile still lists you as childless despite the fact that you have an 18 month old.


From what I've gathered, most folks have some sort of angle that distinguishes their blog from other blogs (another reason I was bummed that "The Awesomeness of Me" was taken).  Ideally, we'll talk about the fam, along with a little talkie talkie about photography, cooking, the adventures of taking care of our one acre lot (and trying to deter the deer that terrorize it), non-fiction books, and a hearty dose of our beloved Washington Redskins.  As far as angles go, I think I've just alienated just about everyone in the country, so we'll see how that works out (somehow I think national syndication is now sadly out of reach).  Either way, we'll be just riffin - so enjoy!